By Jorge Cirett

During the 27^th week of the year (June 4^th to July 10^th, 2022), at least 26 press releases were announced by companies working in Mexico. To note, three companies posted exploration advances on their properties, one company poured its first gold and silver, one presented production results for the second quarter. Four companies reported on the opening or closing of financing rounds for a total of US$4.5 M and C$13.3 M, one company reported on a relevant investor share purchase. Five companies posted on work at its advanced properties, one company is to produce a PFS report and one other presented a NI 43-101 compliant report on reserves and resources of its recently acquired mine. One company informed on details of government resolutions on its mining concessions and an incoming indigenous consult.  One more company agreed with the Union representing its workforce on a profit-sharing scheme. The completion of the acquisition of a large silver property was announced.  ON MEXICO ISSUES, Mining companies on the BMV are resenting the lower prices on metals. ON EXPLORATION, in Sonora, Tocvan Ventures released surface sample results from El Picacho. In Chihuahua, Golden Minerals reported drilling results from nine holes at Yoquivo. In Zacatecas, Zacatecas Silver released drilling results at the El Cristo project, within its Zacatecas Silver concessions. ON MINING, SilverCrest Metals reported the first pour of gold and silver on its Las Chispas mine in Sonora. Endeavour Silver presented Q2 production results. ON FINANCING, Sonoro Gold closed its oversubscribed financing for $3 M. Silver Viper Minerals closed the final tranche of the private placement raising $306 K. Guanajuato Silver increased its private placement to C$13.3 M.  ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT, Zacatecas Silver is to prepare a PFS on its Esperanza project in Morelos. Bear Creek Mining filed a NI 43-101 compliant report on reserves and resources for its Mercedes mine in Sonora. GoGold Resources released results from drilling at El Favor deposit on its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Vizsla Silver reported drilling results from the San Antonio vein at the Panuco project in Sinaloa. Torex Gold released results from resource expansion and exploratory drilling in the broader Media Luna area in Guerrero. Mithril Resources released drilling results from El Refugio at its Copalquin project in Durango. ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES, Almaden Minerals has been notified its Ixtaca mining concessions in Puebla are “ineffective”, but the filing of applications made in conformity with the law. Newmont Corp. reached a profit-sharing agreement with the Union representing the workforce of its Peñasquito mine in Zacatecas. Endeavour Silver completed the acquisition of the Pitarrilla project in Durango.  ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, Almaden Resources will participate on a pilot program conducted by United Nations Expert Group Resource Management and the Economy Secretariat on sustainable development. Grupo Mexico continues to work on cultural development of mining communities.

ON MEXICO ISSUES

• Mining companies on the Bolsa Mexicana de Valores (BMV) impacted by lower metal prices. From the start of the year to now, Industrias Peñoles shares have fallen 21.7%, Fresnillo 23.2%, Frisco 16.9% and Grupo Mexico 8.9%. During the year the year gold has depreciated 5.2%, silver 18.2% and copper 21.6%.

ON EXPLORATION

• Tocvan Ventures Corp. released surface rock sample results from its El Picacho project in Sonora. A total of 65 samples were collected at the Murcielago prospect, of which 14 returned values over 0.1 gpt Au. Selected results from the sampling program comprise 7.19 gpt Au, 36 gpt Ag, 4.3% Pb; 4.52 gpt Au, 197 gpt Ag, 0.17% Cu; 4.8% Pb, 7.1% Zn; 3.25 gpt Au, 66 gpt Ag, 1.6% Pb; 2.71 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag, 1.9% Zn; 2.71 gpt Au, 12 gpt Ag, 1.6% Pb, 1.3% Zn; 2.18 gpt Au, 15 gpt Ag, 1.3% Pb, 1.1% Zn; 1.50 gpt Au, 176 gpt Ag, 1.2% Zn. The samples are from a brecciated dolomitic limestone unit along a 450 m long trend with historic artisanal workings showing significant lead and zinc mineralization with gold and silver, in Jurassic sedimentary rocks.
• Golden Minerals Co. reported results from the first nine holes on the third drill program at its Yoquivo project in Chihuahua. Highlighted true width results comprise 80.1 m @ 0.89 gpt Au, 64 gpt Ag (including 8.2 m @ 3.93 gpt Au, 120 gpt Ag; which includes 2.2 m @ 10.21 gpt Au, 139 gpt Ag); 0.4 m @ 30.80 gpt Au, 5,260 gpt Ag; 4.2 m @ 0.16 gpt Au, 229 gpt Ag; 1.7 m @ 0.13 gpt Au, 355 gpt Ag. “This most recent drilling has focused on testing the Pertenencia vein system to extend the known mineralized strike length into previously untested areas. The Pertenencia vein has continued to return strong gold-silver grades, and the vein remains open to depth and to the north”.
• Zacatecas Silver Corp. released results from drilling at El Cristo project, on its Zacatecas Silver property in Zacatecas. Highlighted core length intervals comprise 9.53 m @ 167 gpt Ag; 1.45 m @ 11 gpt Ag, 0.18 gpt Au, 0.5% Pb, 1.6% Zn; 0.8 m @ 94 gpt Ag; 1.08 m @ 90 gpt Ag; 0.65 m @ 1.2 gpt Au, 565 gpt Ag, 1.3% Pb, 2.7% Zn; 1.2 m @ 134 gpt Ag, 0.1 gpt Au, 0.2% Zn; 4.36 m @ 48 gpt Ag, 0.19 gpt Au, 1.5% Pb, 2.7% Zn; 0.5 m @ 20 gpt Ag, 0.23 gpt Au, 1.0% Pb, 17.5% Zn. The epithermal intermediate sulfidation system at El Cristo crops out within a dilational zone that is at least 4 km long and up to 600 m wide.

ON MINING

• SilverCrest Metals Inc. reported the first pour of silver and gold at Las Chispas mine, in Sonora. The plant commissioning is on track to reach its 1,250 tonnes per day capacity. “The plant started in late May 2022 and milled an estimated 12,700 tonnes of low-grade ore during June 2022”.
• Endeavour Silver Corp. presented second quarter production results of 1.36 M Oz Ag, 9,289 Oz Au, or 2.1 M Oz AgEq. At Guanaceví, in Durango, 94 K tonnes were processed at 1,045 tonnes per day (tpd), grading 465 gpt Ag, 1.37 gpt Au, recovering 85.0% Ag, 88.9% Au, to produce 1.19 M Oz Ag, 3,680 Oz Ag. At Bolañitos, in Guanajuato, 107.3 K tonnes were processed at 1,193 tpd, averaging 54 gpt Ag, 1.77 gpt Au, recovering 88.6% Ag, 91.8% Au, to produce 165 K Oz Ag, 5,609 Oz Au. On other developments: Recent drilling has intercepted high-grade gold and silver at Guanceví; Drilling continued to intersect high-grade mineralization on the La Colorada structure at Parral, in Chihuahua; In the coming months the company expects to make a formal construction decision on La Terronera, in Jalisco.    

ON FINANCING

• Sonoro Gold Corp. closed an oversubscribed non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $3 M (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).
• Starcore International Mines Ltd. approved a non-brokered private placement in July 4, 2022, to raise up to $1.2 M in gross proceeds. On the next day Starcore reported the closing of the placement confirming $1.2 M in gross proceeds (El Creston, Sonora; San Martin, Queretaro).
• Sonoro Gold Corp. informed that R. Stuart Angus reported the acquisition in June of $485 K in shares of Sonoro Gold, operation after which he owns 9.95 M shares and 8.35 M warrants of the corporation, representing 7.1% of the outstanding shares on a non-diluted basis and 12.4% on a partially diluted basis (Cerro Caliche, Sonora).
• Silver Viper Minerals Corp. closed the final tranche of its non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $306 K (La Virginia, Sonora).
• Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. expanded the size of its previously announced brokered private placement to C$13.3 M with the option to increase the financing an additional 15%. (Topia, Durango; El Cubo, Guanajuato).

ON RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Zacatecas Silver Corp. announced the engagement of Palaris Ltd. to lead a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the Esperanza project in Morelos.
• Oroco Resource Corp. resumed drilling at its Santo Tomas project in Sinaloa. Operations started at the end of federal military operations in the area. “Core logging and assaying have continued during the period of drill stoppage, with an improvement in methods of handling and analysis, thereby better preparing the geological team for an increase in the rate of core processing”.
• Bear Creek Mining Corp. filed a NI 43-100 compliant technical report on its Mercedes mine, in Sonora. The report provides a mineral reserves and resources estimate to December 31, 2021.
• GoGold Resources Inc. released results from six holes from El Favor East deposit at its Los Ricos North project in Jalisco. Highlighted core length intercepts comprise 18.8 m @ 0.62 gpt Au, 156 gpt Ag (including 7.4 m @ 1.50 gpt Au, 344 gpt Ag); 11.4 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 90 gpt Ag; 4.5 m @ 0.27 gpt Au, 76 gpt Ag; 2.8 m @ 0.36 gpt Au, 76 gpt Ag; 2.0 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 127 gpt Ag; 1.8 m @ 0.24 gpt Au, 138 gpt Ag; 2.2 m @ 0.80 gpt Au, 227 gpt Ag; 9.3 m @ 0.64 gpt Au, 155 gpt Ag (including 0.7 m @ 5.23 gpt Au, 1,196 gpt Ag); 0.7 m @ 4.34 gpt Au, 1,295 gpt Ag.
• Vizsla Silver Corp. reported results from seven holes on the San Antonio vein of the Cordon de Oro corridor at its Panuco project in Sinaloa. Highlighted true width intercepts comprise 6.40 m @ 5.76 gpt Au, 621 gpt Ag (including 0.57 m @ 34.2 gpt Au, 2,940 gpt Ag); 6.0 m @ 0.37 gpt Au, 124 gpt Ag; 4.89 m @ 0.60 gpt Au, 122 gpt Ag; 7.50 m @ 1.15 gpt Au, 213 gpt Ag; 3.15 m @ 2.29 gpt Au, 549 gpt Ag; 4.20 m @ 1.19 gpt Au, 202 gpt Ag; 2.0 m @ 4.75 gpt Au, 355 gpt Ag; 2.01 m @ 1.29 gpt Au, 226 gpt Ag.
• Torex Gold Resources Inc. released results from resource expansion and exploratory drilling completed in the broader Media Luna area in Guerrero. The work extends mineralization to the south and west of the EPO deposit and identified a potential new zone of mineralization between the Media Luna deposit and the Media Luna West target. Highlighted true width results comprise 9.73 m @ 8.51 gpt Au, 33 gpt Ag, 1.57% Cu; 17.25 m @ 4.18 gpt Au, 25 gpt Ag 1.74% Cu; 35.63 m @ 2.05 gpt Au, 30 gpt Ag, 1.05% Cu; 16.48 m @ 8.70 gpt Au, 4 gpt Ag, 0.54% Cu; 6.31 m @ 4.00 gpt Au, 19 gpt Ag, 0.78% Cu; 5.10 m @ 2.79 gpt Au, 9 gpt Ag, 0.27% Cu. Infill, step-out, exploration, ore control and definition drilling budgeted includes $19 M at Media Luna, $6 M at ELG Underground, $9 M in near mine and regional and $5 M in definition and grade control in the ELG open pit and underground. “The Media Luna deposit is hosted within the Mesozoic carbonate-rich Morelos Platform, which has been intruded by Paleocene stocks, sills, and dykes of granodioritic to tonalitic composition. Skarn-hosted gold-silver-copper mineralization is developed within the sedimentary rocks along the contacts of intrusive rocks as well as within altered dykes of the skarn envelope….Mineralization at Media Luna is hosted in skarn that developed at the contact of the intrusive granodiorite and overlying sedimentary rocks. The skarn is characterized by a mineral assemblage of pyroxene, garnet, and magnetite. Metal deposition and sulfidation occurred during retrograde alteration and is associated with a mineral assemblage comprising amphibole, phlogopite, chlorite, and calcite ± quartz ± epidote as well as variable amounts of magnetite and sulfides, primarily pyrrhotite. Additional mineralization is associated with skarn developed within and along dykes and sills above the main granodiorite intrusion”.
• Mithril Resources Ltd. released drilling results from deep drilling at El Refugio, at its Copalquin project in Durango. Highlighted core length results comprise 5.67 m @ 4.37 gpt Au, 174 gpt Ag (including 1.67 m @ 9.64 gpt Au, 399 gpt Ag); 1.0 m @ 1.68 gpt Au, 67 gpt Ag; 1.0 m @ 1.27 gpt Au, 46 gpt Ag; 0.50 m @ 2.13 gpt Au, 118 gpt Ag; 0.90 m @ 1.04 gpt Au, 11 gpt Ag.

ON DEALS AND CORPORATE ISSUES

• Almaden Minerals Ltd. informed the Ministry of Economy has officially notified Almaden that the company’s mining concessions titles relating to the Ixtaca project in Puebla are “ineffective”, but that the title applications were filed in conformity with the law. This is understood to mean that “the mineral title has reverted to application status, and that these applications preserve the mineral rights for Almaden but do not allow the Company to engage in exploration, until such time as Economia completes its court-ordered indigenous consultation in the area covered by the mineral title applications”. Almaden also announced that the environmental permit application will be submitted once the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) and the indigenous consultation process are finalized.
• Newmont Corp. announced it has reached a profit-sharing agreement with the Union at its Peñasquito mine in Zacatecas. Newmont will pay its unionized workforce an uncapped profit-sharing bonus up to 10%, “with an immediate cost equivalent of $70 million, which is representative of the payments related to 2021 results”.
• Endeavour Silver Corp. announced the completion of its acquisition of the Pitarrilla project in Durango. The deal involved the bought of $70 M in shares from Silver Standard Ventures Inc. subsidiary (SSR Durango S.A. de C.V.) and a further 1.25% NSR on Pitarrilla. Endeavour plans to invest $1.8 M for drilling and exploration to verify the historical data and define a current resource in 2022.

ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

• Almaden Minerals Ltd. reported the Ixtaca project in Puebla was selected to be included in a pilot project conducted by the United Nations Expert Group Resource Management (UNRMS) in coordination with Mexico’s Ministry of Economy (Secretaría de Economía). The UNRMS “considers a range of socio-economic, technological, and knowledge factors that are important for the sustainable development of each project”.
• Grupo Mexico continues with its support for cultural development of the mining communities. This week the Orchestras and Choruses from Buenavista and La Caridad made a presentation in Hermosillo, Sonora, along with other cultural institutions and organizations, under the event “El Cobre Hecho Arte”.

On the image below: Weathered monzonite porphyry on a project in the Sonoran Desert. Picture by Jorge Cirett.